Giant's Causeway

Today was going to be a busy day. We were going to the Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland and then hopefully be back in time for the Hurling Final between Kilkenny and Tipperary (go Tipperary!) We actually looked into getting tickets for the game but it was well and truly sold out. It’d be like trying to get tickets for a State of Origin game in Brisbane on the day of the game, not gonna happen. We were going for Tipperary because they were the underdogs and Kilkenny had won 5 years in a row. We had no idea what the rules were, though.

In the hope of getting back fairly early, we made a concerted effort to get up early and leave as soon as possible. We woke at 7am and were down at the breakfast room at 7:30am, unfortunately they hadn’t opened their doors yet so we waited in the lobby. Eventually at around 7:45am the doors opened and we woofed down breakfast and were on the road by around 8am. Along the way we were again in awe of the magnificent countryside, so beautiful. We also noticed the banners and flags of the teams in the Hurling Final, hanging down from overpasses. It was confusing at times driving from Ireland to Northern Ireland because the speed limit signs were in km/h in Ireland and mp/h in N. Ireland.

Northern Ireland countryside

Now, this drive would normally take around 3 hours but again we got confused along the way. We took at least 3 wrong turns and ended up getting directions from a service station attendant in Belfast. We got to the Giants Causeway at around 12:30pm, more than 4 hours later. Love it.


Anyway, we had made it. The small town of Bushmills we drove through, only 3kms from the Giants Causeway, was beautiful, as was the rest of the landscape. We paid for parking and walked towards the tourist office. There was a courtesy bus waiting to take people down the rock formations but it didn’t look that far so we decided to walk down. It was a little longer than we thought but it was a very nice walk nonetheless. When we finally arrived at the National Nature Reserve we were really amazed to see how the rocks had a hexagonal shape to them.

They were formed around 50 million years ago due to volcanic activity and are very impressive. The legend behind the Giant’s Causeway is that a giant Irish warrior, Finn McCool, built the causeway to walk to Scotland to fight his Scottish counterpart, Benandonner. We spent a good 3 hours exploring the amazing formations, including the ‘Giant’s Boot’, which we had a photo taken in, before finally walking back up the hill the tourist centre.

Sitting on the Giant's Boot

We have found it impossible so far not to buy anything at souvenir shops and today was no exception. We bought an Ireland photo book and were back on the road to Dublin at about 2:45pm. We stopped off at a diner for lunch at around 3:30pm and had burgers and chips which really hit the spot. We could tell we were still in Northern Ireland because we had to pay in pounds not euro and it was raining. The Hurling Final had already started and we were still at least an hour from Dublin. We listened to a little of the game on the radio and really couldn’t tell what was going on but Tipperary won in the end. Yay!!


As the car drove into the city centre the Hurling Final was over and we saw hordes of people wearing their team colours walking to train and bus stations and also overflowing out of nearly ever pub we drove past. Everyone looked happy though, some more than others.

We got back to the carpark at around 5pm and it proved nearly impossible to get out with all of the people from the game getting to their cars. We walked straight to Dunne’s and bought some Baileys Irish Whiskey to share on our last night in Dublin. We’ve had a blast and would love to come back one day. At the hotel we ended up finishing off whatever we had including Pringles, cake, chocolate etc while we shared some Baileys. We only ended up having a couple and fell asleep while watching Transformers. It was another day and another country down. :( It’s going too quickly now.

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Irish Meal and Dancing

Today, is a designated rest day. We awoke around 9am and stumbled down to the breakfast room for another hearty meal. The only thing we had on the cards today was dinner at a traditional Irish Dancing Pub. Dan found out there was a god and found live NRL on TV. It didn’t show the Cowboys though, probably for the best.


After breakfast we walked around Dublin and went to the souvenir shop and found a lepricon and Irish tin whistle. We ordered a ham and pineapple pizza for lunch and had a chocolate milkshake and mocha. It was really good to have a slow day and just watched the world go by. We thought about going to watch a movie but we were running out of time to be back for dinner, instead we headed back to the room and rested.



Traditional Evening

We arrived at dinner as the band were going through their sound check. Dan ordered a Guinness and Ev had an Irish Coffee. We both didn’t like either of our drinks but forced ourselves to have them so we wouldn’t offend the waitress, and it took a long time for both of us to finish our first drink. We ordered our meals and the Irish music started to play. The five locals entertained the crowed with traditional Irish songs on the bass guitar, two rhythm guitarists and singers an accordion and a percussion player.

Our meals arrived during their set and after a few songs the lead singer wanted to ‘Welcome’ the audience so he called out a few countries and people cheered. When he came to Australia we cheered and he said, “Oh, quite a few from Australia! Well, You’re quite Welcome from Australia” then the accordion player played Skippy the Bush Kangaroo. So now whenever we say thankyou, our reply in an Irish accent is “You’re quite Welcome” and pleasantly smile. It’s a great game.

Back to the meals though, Entrees were Cream of roast vegetables soup and a selection of ham, smoked salmon and roast beef with cranberry and horseradish dressings and for Mains Dan had the Arlington Hotel’s famous beef and Guinness casserole and Ev had slow cooked Pork Belly on mash. Both were very tasty. Finally dessert: Dan had Chocolate delight cake, Ev had a Bailey’s tartlet. Oh so good.

The singing was very good and the dancers were on next. On the promotion pamphlet they had a lead male and six female dancers so we were expecting a big show, but they had two guys and two girls and they were all very good. The Celtic Rhythm Irish Dancers even perform at weddings. Maybe we could have flown them to ours. The dancing and music was really cool and we were blown away by how fast the four of them tapped in perfect unison. Of course the costumes looked stunning as well, royal purple, white and black. Their opening theme song was ‘Dance over the Rainbow’ by Ronan Hardiman.

http://www.celticrhythmdancers.com/Gallwed2.html - Videos of Dancing

They dance for about an hour, and half way through they invited four audience members to perform a quick on the spot repetitive dance as a group. Ev wanted to go up, but was beaten by a few others closer to the front, including one girl on a Hen’s night. They looked like they had a lot of fun on stage. After the dramatic finale form the dancers, the band came back on and played crowd involving songs which required us to clap rhythms during the chorus. We had a great night and left close to 11pm. A late one for us married people.

These two Dublin musicians are also very good. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3R3z1gJQkQ

You're Quite Welcome Australia :)


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Blarney Castle

We had a relatively late start for some reason this morning. :P After showering and preparing ourselves we went downstairs to the breakfast room. It was fairly packed at around 9:30am but we were treated to a Full Irish breakfast. Now the only difference between the full English and a full Irish breakfast was that white pudding replaced hash browns. Either way, it was spectacular.

Back in the hotel room we went onto Google maps to get directions to Blarney Castle. We hadn’t had that much luck with driving so far so we decided to take the laptop with us. At 11:30am we were finally away. Once again we drove past the spire (4 times now) and found we were going the wrong way. We drove back through the mall and past the spire again (5 times) and were now on the right track. To save the battery on the laptop Dan took screen shots with the camera of the directions. Dan slept as Ev drove and the drive for Ev was a lot easier thanks to clearer directions. We drove 3 hours south to Blarney just outside of Cork. Funnily we heard Harvey Norman ads for Ireland with the same Australian voice over back home, on the radio.

Getting to Cork was fairly straight forward and the Irish countryside was incredibly beautiful. The directions to Blarney though were not so straight forward but somehow we fluked our way in getting to Blarney Castle. It felt the grounds were smack bang in the middle of town. We had pictured Blarney Castle to be in a remote part of the country surrounded by rolling hills and cows but, there it was, just off the road lined with pubs. We parked the car in what we assumed was the parking lot and entered. We were pretty hungry so grabbed some sandwiches from one of the food stalls. We were really impressed with the gardens at the Blarney Castle. It was just like going back in time knowing there is still a working house here. We took our time roaming the grounds of the castle and read about the history from the guidebook we purchased as we entered.

It only took about 5 minutes to reach the castle itself and it appeared to be very well preserved and easy to climb. The narrow limestone stairwell was a little slippery in some places though there was no water on the steps. The rails helped to stabilise us to the top. We enjoyed the scenery from the top of the castle and couldn’t believe the beauty that was before us. From the gardens in the grounds, to the nearby town there were trees and grass everywhere. At one stage Ev could feel the song ‘You Raise Me Up’ sung by Josh Groban; that breathtaking feeling of grandeur and peacefulness all at once.

The Blarney Kiss

We continued our way over the top of the castle towards the magic of The Stone. It is said that all who kiss the Blarney Castle Stone are assured to be bestowed with the eloquence of Irish talk; soft, persuasive, with a nice touch of flattery and a twinkle in the eye; in other words, the gift of the gab. We noticed as we came up to the stone that the spot where you have to kiss was a darker grey compared to the other parts of the stone. The staff who took the photos said it was because they have to clean it so much, but I don’t think it was sprayed before we had our turn. Eeeeeww!! Anyway, pay the toll, suck it up and ‘Stone, work your charm!!’ It was awkward to get down to the stone. When you lay down, the rock beneath your head had been taken out so you could see the ground a long way down as you sat. On your back you reach your arms above your head to pull your body close to the wall then arch your back so you were lower than your body. Smile for the professional camera, as you “Mmmwwaaa!” Kiss the Blarney Stone, and Smile again as you gracefully and awkwardly get up. Now we have proof we were there. We have officially kissed the Blarney Stone, so look out world.

Dan getting up after kissing the stone. ‘Was it as good for you as it was for me?’

After walking back down the steps of the castle, we went to the souvenir shop and grabbed a copy of our professional photos of us kissing the stone. We then went for a quiet stroll around the gardens which contained several rock formations given imaginative names such as, Witches Kitchen, Witches Cave and Druids Corner.

Witches Kitchen

Witch Stone - see her nose in the centre

Dan walked up the Wishing Steps and they say that if you walk up and down the stairs with your eyes closed and think of a wish the entire time it will come true in one year. Dan walked up with his eyes closed, but not down because there was another couple behind us, so we’re thinking that that will mean his wish will come true in 6 months. Ev hopes that timing is good because if he wished for a baby, we’re in trouble.

Walking up the Wishing Steps

We continued our stroll through the gardens and enjoyed an open park area and sat on a log that had been hollowed out into a seat and ate some cream buns while watching some kids play on a wooden sea-saw in the distance. It was very relaxing with the sun warming us. There was plenty of space to just relax. We followed the paths back past to castle to the overbridge of the small brook then up to the souvenir shop where Dan bought an Irish Rugby shirt. We then went to the car and saw another shop so got more souvenir’s there too, including a recipe for Irish coffee magnet for Ev and some Jameson Whisky chocolates for Dan.

The drive back to Dublin was a lot easier as all we did was follow the ‘Dublin’ sign. We got back a lot quicker thanks to lead foot, Ev, driving at around 140km/h. We got back to Dublin at 7:30pm but had a bit of trouble finding where we were supposed to go. Dan spotted the Spire of Dublin and told Ev to drive towards it.

Ev replied “What’s the Spire of Dublin?”

Dan said “The big, steel pin-like structure on the street we are staying near”

Ev replied “Really? I don’t remember seeing it”.

Dan couldn’t believe it and nearly lost his mind trying to explain the massive spire in the middle of Dublin that even a blind man could see. Ev was adamant she hadn’t seen it. Anyway, we ended up using Dan’s iPhone to get us home.

Finally, back at to the hotel, Dan turned the TV on and noticed that the England v Bulgaria football match was about to start. Aww yeah! We quickly headed to the Dunne’s shopping centre for more supplies and then to grab some dinner. On the way we passed the Spire of Dublin (for the 6th time) and Dan said to Ev “That is the Spire of Dublin” to which Ev replied “Ohh, I didn’t even notice it.” Dan felt a vain pop in his forehead. :)

Ev fancied Burger King because it was there, but Dan was reluctant and wanted something more...Irish?? Anyway, we passed a fish and chip shop and ordered a meal for 2 which included Haddock, just a white fish. We (Dan) sat on the bed to watch the game as we ate. Dinner was very nice but it turned out everything had been deep fried. We couldn’t tell what anything was until we took a bite. We figured out we had deep fried prawns, a raw onion ring, pineapple and fish. Bring those calories on!! Anyway, England won 4-0, boo, and Dan finished off his Jameson Whisky and helped Ev drink her Archers. You know what they say ‘When In Ireland, get drunk and start a fight!’ Seriously though, it was another great day on an awesome honeymoon. Still 2 months to go. Woot!!

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IRELAND - Off to the Emerald Isle!

We both woke up still very tired and stressed this morning from our ordeal yesterday. We got ready and packed our bags quietly so we wouldn’t wake the boys, and also because we were still annoyed with each other. We just wanted to leave and find our own space to settle. Sam drove us to the airport at 7am, close to Legoland and it was good to hear her empathise how crap the road was. Dan was able to pretty much sleep the whole way and missed the roadside fun. We said our goodbyes to Sam and thanked her for her hospitality. We really love the area she and the boys live in and can appreciate why Paul and Anita decided to live in England. If we were ever to live abroad it would be here.


At the airport we found a lens cleaning pen and finally a universal electric plug. Huzzah, we got a break! We ordered a big full English breakfast at an airport cafe and sat in silence. Before our meal arrived we broke the silence and talked about our drinks...then how good it was to stay at Sam’s and see the boys...then how good mini Legoland was...then about how terrible the driving was. Finally we noticed the elephant in the room and killed it. We have never had a fight like that before and decided on a better strategy to handle our stress. We were able to joke about how ridiculous the directions were and agreed that from now on we’ll be using Google Maps for directions. Breakfast was good, really good.

After breakfast we headed to the departure lounge where we passed through security screening and Dan was told to remove his shoes. This was an unfortunate experience for everyone within smelling range. A huge relief was the fact that Ev was able to keep her boots on! Talk about chemical warfare. :)

We boarded the plane at 11:15am and were warmly greeted by an awesome Irish accent onto Aer Lingus. We were served a second breakfast and also bought a watch for Dan and Butlers Chocolates, an Irish brand, for Ev on the plane to Dublin.

The flight only took an hour and the first thing Dan saw at the Airport was a Bar, we are definitely in Ireland and Dan was happy.

Once collecting our bags we headed straight to the car hire (We are suckers for punishment!). We will need the car for a couple of day trips throughout Ireland. The car had no air-con and Ev asked if we could exchange it. Unfortunately none of the smaller cars had a/c., thankfully the weather was pleasant and we were away. We turned the radio on and were soothed by some traditional Irish music.

The map we had was very sketchy so to avoid more stress we used Dan’s iPhone map through data roaming even though we knew it would be expensive. After going completely the wrong way out of the airport terminal we finally got back on track for our hotel. Navigating in Dublin was going to be a little difficult as the street signs were either plastered on a building obscured by trees etc or not at all. On the way we discovered that our hotel was in a mall area with the massive Spire of Dublin, which is a 121m tall structure that is impossible to miss, you would think? We also drove past a restaurant/bar that has Irish dancing. We’ll have to go there before we leave.

Spire of Dublin (the large pin-lik steel thing)

We found the Academy Plaza Hotel and were impressed with its style, but unimpressed that we had to pay for parking around the corner in a public car park, we’re looking at about 17 Euros with the hotel discount. Once bringing our bags into the room and dropping the car off, we stopped into a corner store to buy lunches and snacks. Unfortunately there wasn’t a fridge in the room so we rang reception to see if we could upgrade but were told no rooms had fridges. There was a kettle and a cup of tea was in order. Free internet was available in the room so we researched where we were and how long it would take for our day trips.

A real Alice in Wonderland corridor

We went for a walk down the main street of the mall and past the Spire of Dublin again (count how many times we pass it) at about 5pm and found restaurants, a candy store, a large souvenir store, and shopping centre with liquor and lots of bars. Dublin has a ridiculous amount of redheads so Ev felt at home.

We bought some drinks and ice. Dan decided to go Irish and bought some Jameson's Irish Whisky, gauranteed to put hairs on your chest and Ev bought some Archer's Vodka. We headed back to the hotel, again past the Spire of Dublin (That’s 3 times so far. You’ll see where this is heading tomorrow.) Now that we have our bearings we can relax in Ireland. We bought Chinese for dinner for only 5 pounds and ate in the hotel, followed by a few drinks...then a couple more, followed by a few more. Dan passed out at around midnight not realising the liquor was 44% alcohol as opposed to the normal 36% he is used to. You get the idea..:)

Ireland, I love you.

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